Poppies
by Jengou
Summary: Mello/Hal - their relationship is one of snark!


**Title:** Poppies  
**Author:** **jengou**  
**Pairings:** Mello/Hal, mentions of Near and Gevanni.  
**Genre:** Fluff  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Spoilers:** Spoilers for the entire manga  
**Word count:** 926  
**Disclaimer:** My love for M/H, it is hot and fiery! Death Note still isn't mine though.  
**Acknowledgement:** Written for kefanii and scapebread, who drew me the fanart this fic is based on (img339.imageshack.us/img339/1276/mellohalwn5.jpg).  
Dancing thanks to x-drear-x for the beta!  
**Prompt:** 'Mello brings Halle flowers and then proceeds to explain how it's not actually a thoughtful gesture and she's reading into it too much.'

"What about this suit? Does it make me look professional, yet..." Hal tilted her chin down as she cast around for the right word "...demure?"

Mello looked up from a propped up pillow on Hal's bed, putting down the transcript of Near and Second L's conversation.

"What'd you want to look demure for? If you're trying to impress me, then sorry." Mello turned over a page, "Your slutty ways. I've noticed them."

Hal arched an elegant eyebrow at Mello's reflection in her full-length mirror, unfazed.

"I don't see you complaining. Tomorrow's the last stage of the interview for the position of Takada's guard. I have to look the part. As far as the Japanese are concerned, foreign women are only good for speaking English and pouring drinks." Her tone was mostly amused, just barely tinged with an edge of unease.

"Try not to take this the wrong way," Mello examined his cuticles nonchalantly, "but you probably weren't selected into the SPK for your good looks. You're probably better qualified than any women in Japan to be a bodyguard."

Hal visibly preened at the compliment. Mello thought her reaction was a bit excessive, and so retorted with, "_I_ chose you because you're morally gray and slightly more attractive than that Gevanni guy."

That made Hal laugh outright, the first time in a while. "I'm going to be gracious and take that as a compliment from the both of you."

"Don't lump me in with that annoying booger-flicking fiend," Mello scowled.

"Hmmm." She scooped her hair out from underneath the collar of her navy suit jacket, brushed a few wayward strands behind her ears, and twirled around with a professional click of her heels. "How do I look?"

Mello looked at Hal from head to toe, shrugged. "Lose the heels. Looks like you can't run in them."

"I can run in heels fine." She liked how they made her legs look slimmer, and how the clicking sound announced her presence when she wanted it to be known.

"Suit yourself." Mello lifted his legs off the bed and made to consider the chore of pulling on his leather pants.

"No, wait. Point taken, I'll wear flats. Anything else?"

Dropping the leather pants back onto the floor, Mello stood, closed his eyes, and followed the scent of Hal's strawberry-scented shampoo until he stood right behind her in front of the mirror. His hands reached out blindly, fingers snaking around her body, ghosting around the swell of her breasts. He opened his eyes to meet Hal's half-lidded ones in the reflection.

"Don't wear your push-up bra. The interviewer will undoubtedly be a woman." Mello nuzzled the hair at the nape of her neck, kissed it as an afterthought. "You'll just make her jealous."

"Why, aren't you full of compliments today?" and wrapped her own hands around Mello's.

--

'Damn Mello for making me self-conscious,' Hal thought. She didn't have any non-push-up bras, and instead resorted to tugging the tank top underneath the crisply-ironed shirt to hide any signs of cleavage.

Mello hadn't stayed the night. Neither of them slept very well sharing a bed, though truth be told, neither of them slept very well period. To toss and turn in the bed alone was annoying enough, having two people toss and turn in the same bed was a nightmare.

Missing the comforting clicks of her heels as she walked down the corridor of her apartment, she opened the front door and nearly tripped over a bouquet of flowers on her doorstep. Withdrawing her foot, she bent down and picked up the flowers, a sweet aroma rushing to her face.

'Must've been delivered this morning,' she thought. She dipped a hand inside the bouquet, and pulled out a note.

_I'd tell you to kick those Japanese women's ass, but they don't have them anyway._

Hal grinned, and took the flowers with her into the apartment. As she passed by her mirror, she noticed how the orange hues complimented her navy suit nicely, lent her a warmer, less sterile feel, and regretted that a flower in her buttonhole wouldn't look professional.

She hung the bouquet upside down in the bedroom, sat down on the bed, and dialled Mello's number.

"Hey," she said when he picked up the phone wordlessly. "Thanks."

"You're supposed to call me in emergencies only," Mello seethed.

"A whole bouquet of flowers. From you. For me."

"No need to sound so pleased. Flowers, weeds, same thing."

"They're poppies. I suppose they're as morbid and gothic as flowers go? How like you."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Hal could hear noise in the background, which prompted Mello to cover the mouthpiece and yell something like, "I told you, House Rule #5, smoking happens _outside_," before Mello got back on the line.

"Yeah well, you being Takada's guard is sure to benefit me, so I thought a little moral support was in order. I bet Near doesn't even remember your interview is today. I bet he'll just complain about you not bringing in the morning scones on time when you come into the office 'late'."

Hal picked up a card that had arrived in the post yesterday, which she didn't have time to open until now due to Mello's visit. It read,

_H. Thank you for doing this. I will be depending on you. G offered to crossdress. I don't know what goes through that boy's head sometimes. N._

"I feel very appreciated. Thanks."

She hung up, took a deep breath, and braced herself for the Tokyo morning traffic.

**Notes:** I adore this pairing. Adoooore. Some fans forget Hal's name and calls her Mello's girlfriend, and I get ridiculously happy 3 And yet! I find this pairing fiendishly hard to write. Sorry this sucked :( Any constructive criticism is welcome. Oh, and that dig on Gevanni is a nod to rubbersoul1967's SuteNia love, hee hee.


End file.
